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I’m Just Happy to Be Here

“I’m Just Happy to Be Here”

This is the best Chris LeDoux picture I have. In fact, it might be my all time favorite of the country crooners series. A true Wyoming cowboy. Wyoming cowboy true and true — he had the most beautiful sparkle in his eyes. I was able to get a quick run up to the truck chance to ask Chris LeDoux any question.

My inside man, Thumper, who worked the left back behind the chute gate at Cheyenne Frontier Days said, “Be behind the chutes at 5.” I had been shooting the rodeo all day and the hot July sun had me exhausted. Truth be told, I needed a quick nap and a shower.

I didn’t have batteries for my Pentax camera. I did, indeed, have my notebook and tape recorder, though. So I hung out. Thumper said it would be worth my time.

Chris walked in and out of the tan dusty, empty chutes with the Japanese film crew, who were doing a documentary on him. The chutes were absent of the noise and the beautiful clutter and clang of spurs, boots, chaps, and the colorful cowboys. The clutter free chutes, absent of cowboys and animals, were enchanting. I got to tag along, thanks to my inside man, Thumper. I remember I was told to be absolutely quiet. Not a word from the rookie. So I kept real quiet and just watched Chris. The contrast of the Japanese short men and him, against the empty chutes, backdropped against a crisp July Wyoming sky was striking. Chris just had an ease to ease.

Chris got in the CFD pick up truck, after the film crew finished the segment. Some silver fox cowboy of a committee chairman was driving. Chris was in the passenger’s side, leaning out, smilin’, with his crisp clean white cotton country sleeve shirt on. The truck was about to zoom off.

It looked out of place, all big and red there parked dead square in the middle of the cowboy ready area — all cowboys cleared out — not a cowboy anywhere.

I skipped over there, as Thumper, gave me a clear Wyoming handlebar mustache look and said, “Now’s your chance, kid.”

So, I was nervous as all hell and grinning from ear to ear. I giggled out, looking into his Montana sky blue eyes, that glistened gorgeous, and said,

“Thoughts on being at the Daddy?” Holding out my handy-dandy tape recorder right up to his chin.

Wyoming cowboy and poet crooned out with that truer than true Wyoming glimmer, “Just happy to be here.” It was one of those moments you only hear in a country song. I was lucky enough to experience it with a legendary cowboy.

About memomuse

I am an arts educator, writer, poet, photographer, and mama.
United Arts Council Artist in the Schools and Writer-in-Residence -- I am available to conduct workshops and residencies: Memoir, Writing, Poetry, Spoken Word, Poetry Slams. Contact me for more information. Also available for freelance writing and photography.
I am also working on a historic food memoir: http://evanstoncommmunitykitchen.wordpress.com

The beautiful cowboy. He was truely one of the most beautiful men I have ever laid eyes on. His beauty radiated from inside. (of course, my husband is #1 beautiful cowboy, although he isn’t a cowboy at all) But I have met and looked into the deep blue azure eyes of Paul Newman, and Chris and him are in top five. I wrote an article for Cowgirl magazine called “How To Catch a Cowboy” and I gave the assignment to myself and pitched it later – but it was find hot rodeo cowboys and profile them. Sometimes it is fun to be your own boss. Actually, as an Aries, and Wyoming native with a core principle, “Don’t fence me in,” it’s great to be a writer. But sometimes I need a “boss” to put pressure on me to perform or sometimes I like to be evaluated. Anyway, the discipline aspect of writing is most difficult for me. What about you? What do you love and hate about writing?